February Wellness News - American Heart Month

Monthly Events

 American Heart Month

International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month
International Boost Self-esteem Month
International Expect Success Month
Library Lovers Month
National African American History Month
National Children's Dental Health Month
National Time Management Month
Spunky Old Broad Month
Youth Leadership Month
Dog Training Education Month
National Pet Dental Health Month
Responsible Pet Owners Month
Bake for Family Fun Month
Canned Food Month
Chocolate Month
February is Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month
National Grapefruit Month
Great American Pies Month
National Cherry Month
National Snack Food Month
National Wise Health Consumer Month
North Carolina Sweet Potato Month
National Hot Breakfast Month
Potato Lovers Month
Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month

Weekly

1-7 Women's Heart Week

4-10 Burn Awareness Week

4-10 Feeding Tube Awareness Week

5-9 International Networking Week

5-9 Pride in Foodservice Week

7-12 Solo Diners Eat Out Weekend

7-14 Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week

11-17 Children of Alcoholics Week

13-15 World AG Expo

14-21 Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Care Staff Education Week

16-25 Date Fruit Week

25-3/2 National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Daily Event
Sunday	1	Freedom Day, National Baked Alaska Day, International Day of Black Women in The Arts, Ice Cream For Breakfast Day
Monday	2	Groundhog Day, Hedgehog Day, National Tater Tot Day, Crêpe Day, Heavenly Hash Day
Tuesday	3	National Carrot Cake Day
Wednesday	4	Homemade Soup Day, World Cancer Day, Medjool Date Day, National Hemp Day
Thursday	5	National Weatherperson Day, World Nutella Day, National Girls & Women in Sports Day
Friday	6	National Frozen Yogurt Day, Massachusetts 6th State Canadian Maple Syrup Day
Saturday	7	Wear Red Day, National Fettuccine Alfredo Day
Sunday	8	National Molasses Bar Day
Monday	9	National Pizza Day, National Toothache Day, Cut the Cord Day, Bagel & Lox Day, Super Bowl, Autism Sunday, Popcorn Day
Tuesday	10	National Cream Cheese Brownie Day, World Pulses Day
Wednesday	11	National Shut-in Visitation Day, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, National Peppermint Patty Day
Thursday	12	National Plum Pudding Day, Lincoln’s Birthday
Friday	13	National Tortellini Day, National Cheddar Day, National Crab Rangoon Day, Giving Hearts Day
Saturday	14	Valentine's Day,  Ash Wednesday, Natl Donor Day, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day, Library Lovers Day, Oregon 33rd State, Arizona 48th State,  National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day
Sunday	15	National Gumdrop Day
Monday	16	National Almond Day, National Caregivers Day, No one Eats Alone Day, National Buna Day
Tuesday	17	President's Day, World Human Spirit Day, National Cafe Au Lait Day, Random Act of Kindness, National Cabbage Day
Wednesday	18	Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day, National Drink Wine Day
Thursday	19	National Chocolate Mint Day
Friday	20	World Day of Social Justice, National Cherry Pie Day, Love Your Pet Day, National Muffin Day
Saturday	21	National Sticky Bun Day, National Grain-Free Day, Caregivers Day
Sunday	22	National Margarita Day, National Cook a Sweet Potato Day
Monday	23	National Banana Bread Day,  National Dog Biscuit Day, Tootsie Roll Day
Tuesday	24	National Tortilla Chip Day, National Dance Day, STAND UP to Bullying Day, World Bartender Day
Wednesday	25	National Chocolate Covered Nut Day, National Clam Chowder Day
Thursday	26	World Pistachio Day, National Personal Chef Day
Friday	27	National Kahlua Day, National Strawberry Day, World NGO Day
Saturday	28	National Tooth Fairy Day, National Chocolate Souffle Day
Sunday	29

 

 

	Months
	January	July
	February	August
	March	September
	April	October
	May	November
	June	December

 

National Cook for your Pets Day - Cooking Tips and Foods to Avoid

Cooking Tips
No need to add anything, pets don’t need seasoning
Introduce new foods gradually
Make sure to avoid these foods

  Alcohol

  Avocado

  Chocolate, Coffee, and Caffeine

  Citrus

  Coconut and Coconut Oil

  Grapes and Raisins

  Macadamia Nuts

  Milk and Dairy

  Nuts

  Onions, Garlic, Chives

  Raw/Undercooked Meat, Eggs and Bones

  Salt and Salty Snack Foods

  Xylitol

  Yeast Dough

Always check with your vet before changing your pet's diet
Make sure to enjoy cooking and add plenty of love!


Resources and References
1. ASPCA, People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets

Celebrate National Farm to School Month

October 24, Food Day - From Our Garden to Our Table

Welcome to Our Food Day Celebration!
From Our Garden to Our Table

Food Day inspires Americans to change their diets and our food policies. Every October 24, thousands of events across the country bring Americans together to celebrate real food, enjoy it, and push for improved food policies. 

6 FOOD DAY PRINCIPLES

1. Reduce diet-related diseases by promoting safe, healthy foods.

2. Support sustainable farms and limit subsidies to big agribusiness.

3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger.

4. Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms.

5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids.

6. Support fair conditions for food and farmworkers.

Planning Our Food Day Meal Every family is unique. When planning our meal, we considered foods from our garden, finances, physical abilities, including finger foods that are easy to chew and swallow, and color—the theme for our dinner. 

Our family and friends come from diverse backgrounds with physical and emotional challenges or chronic illnesses, such as Cerebral Palsy, Autism, and Heart Disease.

Our Meal

The main course is tri-color pasta with various toppings. Our garden provided us with tomatoes, onions, broccoli, cucumbers, and basil. We purchased spinach, pasta sauce, locally grown fruits, and part-skim mozzarella. For the meat-eaters, we had ground turkey meatballs and shredded chicken.

In addition, we prepared a red, white, and green grilled cheese sandwich from the US Department of Health and Human Services cookbook “Keep the Beat Recipes. " A free copy of the cookbook is available on their website. 

The dessert was a big hit. We made fruit kabobs using locally grown fruits and paired them with low-fat ice cream, and for Jake, we prepared a smoothie using the same ingredients.

Adaptations and Individual Preferences

My son Jake was born with Cerebral Palsy and is quadriplegic. He is unable to hold utensils and requires a straw to drink fluids. Finger foods and a weighted cup with a flexi straw usually provide him the most independence.

October 16, World Food Day 2025, Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future.

 World Food Day

Either we build a future for all, or
there will be no acceptable future for anyone.

World Food Day

World Food Day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in November 1979. FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on October 16th, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945.

The official World Food Day theme is announced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The goal is to focus on World Food Day observances and raise awareness and understanding of approaches to ending hunger. 

World Food Day, 2025 theme,

Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future

Food is the essence of life and the bedrock of our cultures and communities. Preserving access to safe and nutritious food is and will continue to be an essential part of the response to, particularly for, poor and vulnerable communities.

In a moment like this, it is more important than ever to recognize the need to support our food heroes - farmers and workers throughout the food system - who ensure that food makes its way from farm to fork, even amid disruptions.

Achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO's efforts—making sure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. 

The three main goals are the eradication of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition; the elimination of poverty and the driving forward of economic and social progress for all; and, the sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, including land, water, air, climate and genetic resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

The objectives of World Food Day are to:
    Don’t waste water.

    Diversify your diet.
    Keep fish populations afloat.
    Keep soils and water clean.
    Buy organic
    Energy-efficient is best
    Use solar panels or other green energy systems
    Buy only what you need
    Pick ugly fruits and vegetables
    Don’t let labels fool you
    Limit your plastic
    Recycle paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum
    Store food wisely
    Love your leftovers
    Make plant food
    Be rubbish-savvy
    Make cities greener
    Shop local.
    Protect forests and save paper.
    Bike, walk, or use public transport
    Be a conscientious consumer
    Keep up to date on climate change
    Be an advocate!

*Encourage attention to agricultural food production and to stimulate national, bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental efforts to this end;

*Encourage economic and technical cooperation among developing countries;

*Encourage the participation of rural people, particularly women and the least privileged categories, in decisions and activities influencing their living conditions;

*Heighten public awareness of the problem of hunger in the world;

*Promote the transfer of technologies to the developing world; and

*Strengthen international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition, and poverty and draw attention to achievements in food and agricultural development.

To learn more about World Food Day, visit the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

National Pierogi Day - Potato Pierogis

The origins of pierogi date back hundreds of years and are deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of Eastern and Central Europe. While their exact origins are debated, most historians attribute their beginnings to Poland, where pierogi became a national dish and cultural symbol. Early mentions of this dish appear in Polish cookbooks as far back as the 13th century, describing filled dumplings served during holidays and celebrations.

Some theories suggest that pierogi were influenced by Asian dumplings, which were brought to Europe by traders or travelers along the Silk Road. Others link their spread to Ukrainian, Russian, and Slavic communities, where similar dumplings—such as varenyky, pelmeni, and pirohy—developed regional variations.

Pierogi were traditionally made for special occasions:

• Christmas Eve (Wigilia) – filled with sauerkraut and mushrooms

• Easter – sweet versions with fruit or cheese

• Harvest festivals – hearty potato or buckwheat fillings

When Polish and Eastern European immigrants arrived in North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they brought pierogi recipes with them.

Today, cities like Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit proudly celebrate their heritage with pierogi festivals, family recipes, and even pierogi races at baseball games.

These little dumplings have evolved into a global comfort food, symbolizing home, tradition, and togetherness — delicious reminders of the cultural journeys that shaped them.

Recipe

Pierogi are often semi-circular, but triangular and rectangular ones are also found. Typically, it may be stuffed with mashed potatoes, fried onions, cheese, cabbage, sauerkraut, meat, mushrooms, spinach, or other ingredients, depending on the cook's preferences. Dessert versions of the dumpling can be stuffed with cheese or a fresh fruit filling, such as cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, or apples.

Potato Pierogis
4 servings

Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup cold mashed potatoes
1/2 cup grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, (2 ounces)
24 wonton wrappers, (about 6 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Directions
1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add chopped onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
2. Transfer to a bowl and mix in mashed potatoes and cheese.
3. Lay a wonton wrapper on a cutting board. (Keep remaining wrappers covered.) Cut wrapper into a circle with a 3-inch round cookie cutter, preferably serrated.
4. Place about 2 teaspoons potato filling just to one side of the center of the circle.
5. Moisten the edges with water, using a pastry brush. Fold wrapper over filling and press edges together to seal.
6. Flute the edge with the tines of a fork. (Be careful not to pierce the wrapper.)
7. Set the pierogi on a baking sheet and continue filling pierogis until the filling is used up. (Keep prepared pierogis covered with a damp cloth as you work.)
8. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat; add sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until tender and lightly caramelized, 10 to 20 minutes. (Reduce heat and/or add a little water, if necessary, to prevent scorching.) Set aside and keep warm.
9. Drop in about half the pierogis in boiling water. Cook until wrappers are tender and pierogis float to the top, 3 to 4 minutes. Retrieve the pierogis with a slotted spoon and place them in a pan with onions. Repeat with the remaining pierogis.
10. Place the pierogis and onions over medium-low heat and shake the pan to coat the pierogis with onions; warm through. Serve immediately with reduced-fat sour cream.

Resources

History of Pierogi” — Upstate Pierogi Co. describes how pierogi evolved from peasant food into a staple across social classes, with special varieties for holidays.  https://www.upstatepierogico.com/history-of-pierogi 

“Poland’s Most Famous Dish: PIEROGI” — Discusses regional variety, meaning of pierogi ruskie, and their role in Polish cuisine.  https://culture.pl/en/article/polands-most-famous-dish-pierogi 

“Pierogi | Meaning, Types, Recipe & Polish Culture” — Encyclopædia Britannica. Covers origin stories, first mentions in Polish cookbooks (e.g. Compendium Ferculorum 1682) & filling varieties.  https://www.britannica.com/topic/pierogi 

“Where Did Pierogi Originate From? The History Of …” PolishFoodies. Explores theories linking pierogi to Asian dumplings via travel routes and describes arrival in Poland by 13th century.  https://polishfoodies.com/where-did-pierogi-originate-from/